


Contingency

by Kayim



Category: Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: Gen, No Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-04
Updated: 2012-05-04
Packaged: 2017-11-04 19:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/397404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayim/pseuds/Kayim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are clear signs that Bruce has finally started to trust the rest of the team.  The team, however, aren't so keen on those signs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contingency

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt at the Avengers kinkmeme: http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/4305.html?thread=2743761#t2743761

Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, Clint is the first one to realize what Bruce is doing.

They're on their way back from a mission that went spectacularly wrong. Natasha is still bleeding all over the back of the Quinjet, with Steve and Coulson fussing over her. She keeps insisting – loudly – that it's nothing more than a scratch, but the pale expression on Steve's face is telling Clint that it's probably a lot worse. Of course the paleness of Steve's skin could potentially be attributed to his own injury, but he swears that the bullet went straight through his shoulder and missed all the important bits. Tony's flying the jet, but only because his armor is so badly damaged that Jarvis warned him that any attempt at flying home under his own power is likely to result in a quick dip in the ocean. 

Clint managed to stay out of harm's way, which he tends to claim is the biggest advantage of being the sniper on missions like this – he was well away from the bad guys with their exploding experimental weapons. If he's honest, though, he hates it, and would always rather be slap-bang in the middle of the action than on the sidelines.

"Can any of your arrowheads break through steel?" Bruce asks him. His voice is quiet, the way he always gets after the Other Guy has been let loose. He's dressed in a set of sweats that are a couple of sizes too big for him, and Clint can't help thinking he looks like a child playing dress-up in his dad's clothing.

Clint thinks for a moment about the question, mentally cataloging the arrowheads he's got in his quiver. He doesn't wonder about the question though; working alongside the other Avengers has left him pretty immune to unexpected conversation starters.

"There's a diamond tipped one that would probably manage it. Although Tony's been working on one made out of a Vibranium extract that's supposedly able to get through anything." He's not convinced that Stark will ever actually get around to finishing that particular project, but as he's already received three new compound bows, he's not going to complain. Too much.

Bruce closes his eyes before speaking. "The diamond one would probably work," he says, his voice trailing off.

When Bruce opens his eyes again, Clint can see an expression of relief there. He doesn't ask what he might need the arrow for, turning his focus instead to Natasha's cursing and trying to ignore what his friend has just suggested he do.

*

Natasha's been training Bruce in hand-to-hand for more than a month now. It's slow going because he insists on keeping himself under control, but Natasha is the only one he was willing to train with. 

She held back, at first, knowing that Bruce had a science background, not a military or physical one, but he was a quick learner. The gentle beep of his heart-rate monitor keeps them both focused and reminds Natasha of her years training with the Russian ballet. They're not actually her own memories, thanks to the long-ago machinations of the KGB, but they're strong enough that she can still get some pleasure out of them.

Sliding to the floor, she sweeps her leg around, catching Bruce's ankle, felling him quickly and, if the sound he makes when he goes down is anything to go by, painfully.

She offers him an apologetic smile and reaches a hand down to help him up.

"I can teach you how to do that," she tells him, "although it may not work as well for you."

He's already managed to pick up all of the basic moves she's shown him, as well as several of the more advanced ones. He's not yet managed to catch her off guard, but as none of the other Avengers have ever succeeded in doing that either, she's not too concerned.

Bruce shakes his head. "You've taught me plenty," he says, rubbing his lower back. "You need to keep some secrets from me."

Natasha looks at him, locking her eyes onto his. She knows what he's not saying, and she doesn't like it at all. Bruce breaks the eye-contact first.

"That particular move would work on a much larger opponent, right?" he asks before he turns around to leave the gym, not waiting for her answer.

*

When Tony walks in to find Thor and Bruce sitting next to each other on the sofa, engrossed in a game of "Battlefield: Avengers" – a brand new game that allows players to pit Avenger versus Avenger in a fight to the death – he watches for a while.

Thor is, predictably, playing himself, shouting words of encouragement at his avatar on the screen, in both Asgardian and American. It disturbs Tony to think how many curse words Thor's managed to teach them all.

Bruce is quieter, which comes as no surprise, giving the game 100% of his attention, as he does with everything. He's leaning forward on the sofa, hunched over the controller, his fingers darting across the buttons as effortlessly as they do on a computer keyboard. 

He too is playing himself, or at least the other version of himself, but he's a lot less enthused about it than Thor.

The Hulk wins this particular round, much to the amusement of Tony, while Thor contests that the game is "enchanted" and "biased against Asgardians". He is standing up, fists to the sky and Tony makes a mental note to ensure that Stark Tower is well and truly lightning resistant.

It's Bruce that catches Tony's attention though. He's sitting with his shoulders slumped and his head down, as though he was the one who lost the game, instead of being the victor. Bruce reaches out and catches Thor's t-shirt.

"Another game?" he asks as Thor's face lights up at the prospect of a rematch. "But this time try the special combo move. It's supposed to mimic the one you used in that fight against the Doom-bot that time."

"You are a most helpful opponent," Thor booms, sitting down and restarting the game. "There are not many people who would suggest superior methods for their own destruction."

Even from where he's standing, Tony can see the sad smile on Bruce's face.

*

It's almost three in the morning, but Tony apparently has no issues with overriding the privacy on Bruce's bedroom door and letting himself in.

Bruce is still awake, sitting on the edge of his bed with his eyes closed. He doesn't open them when Tony walks in.

"Oh good, you're awake." 

Bruce opens one eye. "It's the middle of the night, Tony."

At least Tony has the audacity to look guilty. He glances at his wrist where his watch usually is, not seeming to notice that it's not there. He shrugs. "I have a present for you."

He walks over to the bed and places the folder next to Bruce. It's a simple manila file, with the familiar SHIELD logo on the front, alongside the words "Contingency Plans: Hulk" written neatly in handwriting that Bruce recognizes as Tony's.

Bruce reaches out for the file, his fingers resting lightly on the cover, but he doesn't pick it up.

"This copy stays here in my lab," Tony explains, even as he backs away towards the door. He's not embarrassed or nervous, Bruce realizes, just offering Bruce the privacy that he's already intruded on. "There's another copy of it with Coulson and an electronic version on the SHIELD server. Encrypted of course."

He offers Bruce a smile; not the patented Tony Stark knock-their-socks-off smile, but a real one that reaches his eyes. "We're prepared and we can handle it. I just thought you'd like to know," he adds as he leaves.

As the door closes, Bruce picks up the folder and starts to read.


End file.
